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When reading all the articles regarding the proposed Wilton Racheria Casino, I have found it interesting that the people who are most affected are left out of the story. That would be the community - the voters and taxpayers of Elk Grove.

A petition came our way, later to learn it was paid for by an outside group. Nonetheless, it was the people's way to have a voice by signing this petition against a Casino locating in our city. Now it appears the City and another outside group, Region Builders, are at work to take the peoples' voice away.

It seems our Elk Grove City Councilmen are not willing to rethink their agendas according to citizen input. Why are our leaders unable to listen, to encourage citizens to remain involved? The 14,000-plus Elk Grove residents signed a petition and are being treated as if they do not exist.

I have yet to hear one of our leaders say "yes, we heard you." It's as if you're fighting the very people who put you in office and I might also add with some information that is misleading.

This is how I look at this whole mess. I know, the Casino will eventually be built and our esteemed leaders, for that period in time, will be marching in line to their own beat to cut the grand opening ribbons.

So much for Destination City - it's now the Gambling Mecca of Elk Grove - City That Never Sleeps!

All you soccer kids have been sold out for the ping of that slot machine.

As part of next week's monthly meeting of the Sacramento Transportation Authority, Executive Director Jeffrey Spencer has issued a report on the results of the recently failed Measure B. Sponsored by the STA, Measure B sought to raise sales taxes in Sacramento County by one-half cent for 30-years.Interestingly, Spencer complains that opponents of Measure B raised "more than $35,000 in funding." What Spencer neglected to mention is that proponents of the tax increase, including a host of real estate developers, construction interests, and Sacramento Mayor-elect Darrell Steinberg raised over $1 million in their failed effort to pass the measure.

Below is Spencer's report.

As I had reported, Measure B did not surpass the required 2/3 threshold to pass. Measure B received 65.08% yes, and 34.92% no. There was a 42.54% voter turnout, or 328,744 voters, which is lower than many recent elections. In comparison, the Presidential election for 2012 had a turnout of 74.7%, and for 2008 it was 79.8%. Interestingly, there were more than 46,000 under votes, which means no vote on the Measure at all. This may be a result of the lengthy ballot, leaving Measure B to be printed on the back of the ballot.

The 2/3 threshold for tax measures remains extremely difficult, despite some very hard fought
campaigns. The votes received would have been a landslide in normal circumstances. This will be
a topic of discussion at the next State Legislative Summit scheduled for March 2017. Already a
coalition of business groups, self-help counties and others are focused on changing the
Constitutional amendment.

Poll results from March 2016 showed 69% support, but those results fell 8% after negative
messaging. The No on Measure B campaign received more than $35,000 in funding. The
opposition groups garnered media attention making public positions through reports they issue as
an attempt to sway public opinion, even stating “Measure B was not about fixing our roads.” These
news releases and reports are not always factual and can rely on conjecture. Although providing
untrue statements, the general public cannot decipher the facts and may rely on this group’s
opinions.

Discussions with voters after the election indicated a lack of understanding in transportation needs
and how it is funded, as well as apathy and repudiation of taxes. The next opportunity will be in
November 2018. However, the same threshold will exist and being a mid-term election, voter
turnout is not likely to be great. Meanwhile, I will continue outreach efforts to help educate the
public on the needs and effects of an efficient transportation system.

Sheriff’s Homicide and Major Crimes Bureau detectives arrested five suspects for the September murder of 25-year-old Phillip Porraz. On December 5, 2016, detectives arrested Gabriel Adam Mota (24), Martin Alexander Romero (23), and Salvador Fuentes (26) of Gridley, along with Joel Luis Cervantes (24) of Sacramento. On December 7, 2016, detectives located and arrested Jonathan Carrillo-Piedra (24) of Sacramento.

Cervantes was already in custody at the Sacramento Main Jail for a violation of PRCS (Post Release Community Supervision) probation. Fuentes was already in custody in the Butte County Jail on gun charges. Both Cervantes and Fuentes were add-booked on the new charges while in custody. Mota and Romero were located at a residence in Maxwell, California. Carrillo-Piedra was located at a motel in West Sacramento. All suspects were arrested without incident.

A little after 6:30 p.m. on September 17, 2016, the Sheriff’s Communication Center received a call of shots fired in the 4000 block of 44th Street in South Sacramento. The caller further advised that someone was shot and lying on the ground.

Deputies responded to the scene and located the victim in the driveway of a residence suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies immediately began life saving measures. Sacramento Metro Fire responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.

Detectives were able to determine through the investigation that all five suspects were occupants in the involved suspect vehicle during the murder. The suspects were affiliated with a gang and targeted the specific residence, which was known to be frequented by rival gang members. There is no indication at this point that the victim knew the suspects.

The suspect vehicle stopped in the roadway, and one of the suspects exited the passenger side of the car armed with a handgun. The shooter approached the victim, who was standing in the driveway of the residence. The shooter fired several shots at the victim, striking him and killing him. The shooter got back into the car and fled the scene.

All five suspects were booked for murder, conspiracy, and gang enhancements. They are currently ineligible for bail.

Detectives are asking anyone with information relating to this incident, to please contact the Sheriff’s Department at (916) 874-5115 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP. Tip information may also be left anonymously at www.sacsheriff.com or by calling (916) 874-TIPS (8477).

Simple nutrition for your family traditions

(Family Features) As the days get shorter and a chill fills the air, families around the country will gather for meals, celebrating time-honored traditions while making new memories around the table. Now more than ever, many families place a priority on sharing simple, natural foods together – foods they can feel good about enjoying every day, and especially during the holidays.

There’s an easy way to incorporate more wholesome ingredients to family mealtimes, and it’s a staple many Americans already have in their refrigerators: milk. As one of the original farm-to-table foods, milk is a simple way to add quality nutrition to a sweet or savory dish. With nine essential nutrients including 8 grams of high-quality protein per 8-ounce serving, you can feel confident serving your family milk during the holiday season and all year-round.

This holiday, start your day off right and gather your family around the breakfast table to enjoy classic favorites, like this French Toast Casserole. It’s made with good-for-you ingredients like milk for an extra nutrient boost of protein, calcium, vitamin D and more.

For more seasonal recipes and ideas to add to your list of holiday traditions, visit milklife.com.

French Toast Casserole

Servings: 8

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups lowfat or fat free milk

5 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

salt, to taste

1 loaf day-old bread, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

maple syrup or sauteed apples (below)

Sauteed Apples:

2 tablespoons butter

3 medium tart-sweet apples (such as Braeburn), diced

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup fresh blackberries (optional)

Coat 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, to taste. Add bread slices and let stand 10 minutes to soak up some custard. Arrange slices in baking dish in two rows, standing up on end. Slowly pour any remaining custard over bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add apples and sugar, and cook 3 minutes, or until sugar melts and apples are soft but not mushy. Stir in lemon juice, vanilla and berries, if desired. Serve warm over French Toast Casserole.

After a month long trial in San Joaquin County Superior Court, a jury convicted Marcus Henson Jr. yesterday of attempted murder of Stockton Police Department officers Travis Weber and Robert Barrington. Henson was also convicted on weapon and gang enhancements related to the shooting incident.

On the evening of June 26, 2015, Officers Weber and Barrington were working undercover, patrolling in the south Stockton area of Rev. Peterson Park. As they passed the park, a group of Flyboy gang members noticed them and fled.

The officers continued to patrol the neighborhood. As they approached S. Sacramento Street at E. 9th St., they were ambushed at the intersection by multiple shooters.

A total of twenty-six shots were fired; the officers’ car was hit twice as they fled to escape. Ultimately, a total of five shooters were identified, all Flyboy gang members or associates.

Henson and the other shooters fled from the scene and were later arrested. Several of the shooters elected to plead before trial.

Henson was identified as the shooter of a .40 caliber weapon that he discharged seven times, and evidence established that he told his fellow shooters and gang members to “get ready” as they positioned themselves to ambush the officers’ car. Henson, a documented Flyboy gang member, is facing a minimum of fifty years to life in state prison for his crimes.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Caitlin Casey. Stockton Police Department Detective Ryan Taiariol was the investigating officer and gang expert. Sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2017.

Early this morning the Sacramento Police Department responded to the 100 block of Redondo Avenue in the Noralto neighborhood on the city's north side regarding the report of shooting.

Upon arrival, officers located an unresponsive male adult seated inside a vehicle parked in the driveway of the residence. Officers began life saving efforts until fire personnel arrived on scene.

The Sacramento Fire Department responded to the location and pronounced the victim deceased. A male adult passenger, who was also seated in the vehicle, sustained a non-life threatening injury and was treated at the scene.

Homicide Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators were summoned to the scene to begin their investigation.

Based on preliminary information, it was determined the victims were parked in a driveway when they were approached by a male suspect armed with a firearm who fired multiple rounds into the vehicle fatally wounding one victim. The suspect fled the scene on foot.

This investigation remains active and no arrests have been made. Detectives have not yet established a specific motive for the shooting, but believe this is an isolated incident.

The identity of the deceased victim will be released by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

The Sacramento Police Department encourages any witnesses with information regarding this homicide to contact the dispatch center at (916) 264-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or submit an anonymous tip using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

An Elk Grove man was arrested after he allegedly grabbed a woman on an intimate area of her body.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 22 the female victim was shopping inside the Target store on the 7500 block of Laguna Boulevard when 56-year old Ibrahim Mohammed Akbar walked up behind her. Akbar then allegedly grabbed an intimate area of the victim's body over the outside of her clothing and began laughing.

The victim pushed Akbar away and bystanders assisted in restraining him until Elk Grove Police officers arrived. Akbar was placed in citizens arrested under penal code 243.4(E)(1), sexual battery, booked in the the county jail and has been released on bail.